Zootopia: The Distopian World
by Silver525600
Summary: (This story revisits the concept of the tame collar that was eventually scrapped from the movie entirely) Zootopia is ravaged by riots. Are they the work of the protest group known as "Freedom Hunters" or is something more sinister at work? Judy Hopps is a private detective looking into the matter. Nick Wilde is a door to door salesman who finds himself wrapped up in her adventure.
1. Chapter 1: Burning Riots and Unrest

Chapter 1: Burning/ Riots and Unrest

Nick regarded the pig behind the counter with calm, cool, complacency. His eyes drifted lazily from the money in his hand to the package of blueberries he had picked up. The pig eyed the fox cautiously, scanning his face, his tame collar, his money, then his blueberries. After some contemplation he took the money and let Nick walk out without any further interaction.

"Cold, always cold," Nick muttered to himself.

It had been a week since he'd had to change grocers and this pig had been nothing but suspicious from the first day he had come into the shop. They hadn't even spoken to one another. Nick wondered if the pig assumed he was coming to his shop because the old grocery store he normally went to had been burned down in the riots. He would be right. Once again, a bunch of loud mouth "preds" caused trouble for animals like him. Everyone knew everyone in the lower parts of town. The same people came into the same shops. If something changed it wouldn't go unnoticed.

After a long walk Nick came to a rundown apartment building. The bricks weren't coming out of the walls just yet, but most of the windows were boarded up or covered in plastic. Inside he heard the sound of breaking glass. Opening the front door he saw a decorative glass plate that had once been hanging on the wall on the ground in shards. A sad looking panther cub stared at the broken pieces with a look of fear in his eyes as he thought about the trouble he would be in. The light on his tame collar turned from green to yellow as he began to hyperventilate. Nick strode past him and walked up the stairs as he heard the collar beep followed by a spark then a yipe from the little cub. The phrase "don't cry over a glass of spilled milk" took on a whole new meaning when any sign of strong emotion from a predator meant a zap from their tame collar.

Walking up two more flights of stairs Nick found his apartment. There wasn't much to it inside. It was one room with a couch, a TV, a mini fridge, a dresser, and one window with purple curtains. Placing the blueberries inside the fridge he plopped down on the couch with a melancholy thud. Picking up the remote Nick turned on the TV and was met with a news report. On the screen was a camel with a brown tweed suit and green tie talking into a mike on a podium to a crowd of reporters.

"These riots will not go ignored," the camel said with a rough, sandy voice. "We have never let the aggression of the predator species disturb the peace of Zootopia and we certainly won't let that start now. These "Freedom Hunters," as they like to call themselves, only prove more than ever that the tame collars are necessary to ensure our safety."

A small sheep reporter piped up from within the crowds. "Governor Sanza, there are some who believe that these riots are not being started by the Freedom Hunters, but by predators being paid off by more powerful prey animals so that the predator species will never win the ongoing debate about the oppression caused by the tame collar."

"These claims have never been proven," Governor Sansa said quickly. "The predators are acting of their own accord. They make their own paths in life and clearly they have chosen one that leads to destruction and it will be stopped."

Nick scoffed. Predators didn't choose their own paths. Society, as in prey, choose it for them. Nick, being a fox was expected to be shifty at the worst and charming at the best. He was a door to door salesman. Thankfully it was for a company that was considered reliable, most of the time. After he began to get bored of the television he switched it off. When he'd put on his pajamas and brushed his teeth he curled up on his couch for the night with a blanket and pillow. Sleep did not come easily for Nick. His mind only seemed determined to torture him with the fresh suspicion people would have against him tomorrow. This would only make it harder for him to sell his merchandise.

...

Judy Hopps sat stiffly on a rickety chair in the small kitchen of a sad looking house. On the walls paint was peeling and old faded pictures hung lopsided. Judy wrinkled her noes at the smell, but tried her best to hide her distaste. It was wasn't something her client could help. Across from the table and chair where she sat a slender white ferret was pouring hot water into a blue mug with a chip on the rim. Her clothes were worn out and her pink frilly apron was stained and faded. Picking up a second mug the ferret came over and say across from Judy pushing the mug towards her.

"I hope you like the tea," she said shyly. "It's home made, doesn't need any milk or sugar. I'm hoping to sell it one day in my own tea shop."

Judy took a sip and was pleased to find the tea very comforting and delicious. "Mrs. White, I hope you don't misunderstand me when I say I was a little nervous about coming down here after receiving your call." Judy noticed that the ferret became tense at this remark, her hand reaching up to scratch the area around her tame collar. She continued "after all, the lower parts of town have become a bit more... tense since the riots broke out."

"But you understand why I asked you here," Mrs. White's voice became hurried. "I tried going to the police. They won't take my case. They assume my oldest boy is hiding after the riots and will return home soon." Her eyes began to tear up. "My boy isn't some thug, Ms. Hopps. He would not be apart of something like that. I'm scared he's hurt or been taken hostage by one of those terrible mobs out there. He has to be found."

"So you called a private detective," Judy said, taking another sip of her tea.

"I can't pay you very much." Mrs. White pulled out her wallet and placed a few scanty bills on the table. "I certainly can't pay you what you're worth, but I've heard your one of the few detectives who would ever consider helping a predator. Please, can you find my boy?"

Judy stared at the money. It was a pitiful amount, and she wasn't a charity, but she did choose this job to stand up for those who can't stand up for themselves. She pulled the money towards her. "I'll take the case... And more tea, please."


	2. Chapter 2: Understanding

Chapter 2: Understanding

"Hello ma'am, may I interest you in buying one of our Wooly Dusters," Nick asked giving the hippo at the door a winning smile. She was unamused. "Made from real sheep's wool, purchased from the finest sheep families in all of Zootopia." She slammed the door in his face.

"Good day sir! Do you struggle with dust on your furniture or picture frames or virtually any surface in your house? If so, then you need to purchase this fine Wooly Duster!" Nick pulled out his product. It was a thick wad of sheep's wool stuck to the end of a plastic pole that was could be lengthened and shortened.

"How many sheep did you rip off to make that product?" The giraffe said lowering his head to examine Nick and his duster.

Nick threw his head back and laughed. "No sheep were harmed in the making of this product." Once again the door was closed. Nick's collar turned yellow for a brief second as he tried to quell his anger. He took a deep breath then moved on.

Several more doors were slammed in his face that day. All prey animals. When he finally became fed up and the heat of the day was unbearable he made his way to the local diner. Walking inside he felt the cold air conditioning hit is fur. Sitting down at a booth he proceeded to take off his jacket and set his case on the table. The diner was a sort of soup kitchen for predators. It wasn't labelled as such, but every day their was a "special" discount for every predator that came in.

"Nicholas Wilde!" Nick turned to the boisterous voice coming from the counter.

"Hello Honey," He called back.

The voice belonged to a honey badger with a green tank top, blue jeans, and a red apron around her waist. There was an intelligent glimmer in her eye and a smirk on her lips. The fur on top of her head was spiked up slightly in a spunky do. Her name was Helen, but everyone affectionately called her Honey. The badger made her way over to sit across from Nick in the booth.

"How is my favorite red furred fiend?" She pushed a cup of coffee towards him as she sat down.

Nick rubbed his face and groaned.

"That bad huh?" Her voice filled with concern.

"I'm telling yah, Honey, if these riots get any worse every predator in Zootopia is going to be out of a job." Nick picked up the coffee and took a sip, relieved to have something that would wake him up. "I mean, I'm not crazy about being a door to door salesman, but that's all that animals expect a fox to do. And even then they only expect a fox to cheat them out of their money."

Honey laughed a good hearty laugh. "Nick, all animals ever expect a badger to do is be a maid, what with our species being so meticulously clean" She said the last line with a certain amount a sarcasm.

"Well, you definitely didn't inherit the "neat and clean" part of your species," Nick said with a smirk.

"Hey! I'm still cleaner that you. You dumb fox." Nick laughed at this. Honey's face became softer and more sincere. "But if I let that whole maid thing stop me I wouldn't have this restaurant, and a lot of predators would go hungry in the middle of the work day."

Nick leaned back against his seat and sighed. "I still think it's simpler for someone like you. No one assumes you're a liar."

"Nick, I still have this tame collar, same as you." She lifted her hand to brush her collar. "I am still facing hardship and prejudice, but I'm not gonna get anywhere by feeling sorry for myself and neither will you. Keep your chin up sweetie. Things like this pass. No oppression can last forever as long as there are animals who see it for what it is." Honey stood up and ruffled the fur between Nick's ears. "How 'bout some lunch? On the house. Part of the 'Red Furred Fiend Special'." She winked leaving Nick to ponder her words.

"Definitely a soup kitchen," He said to himself as she left to get him food.

Nick rubbed his tame collar thinking about the limitations it placed on him, wondering about what a life would look like without it. He didn't have very long to wonder. A leopard came and sat across from him. She wore a royal blue dress with short sleeves and a silver necklace with what looked like a hawk at the end of the chain with it's wings stretched out in flight. Nick knew what the hawk meant.

"I'm not interested," Nick said.

The leopard only blinked showing no sign of offense. "You don't even know what I'm going to say."

"I don't need to." Nick nodded to the hawk on her chain. "I don't need my life to get any harder by joining your cause."

Her face hardened at this comment, but her voice remained controlled and low. "The Freedom Hunters are not the cause of these riots. We protest through intelligent arguments and working with sympathizers amongst the prey species."

"So what," Nick spat back. "This is the way things are and they are never going to change. They only thing we can do is make the best of it."

The leopard stood quietly. "I decided to come talk to you because of what I heard Honey say to you. Clearly you didn't actually listen. Enjoy your charity food. It's the only reward you'll ever get."

Honey soon came back with his food. A grasshopper sandwich with mayo and BBQ sauce on a sesame seed bun. He almost thought of pushing it away out of pride. Sadly, his hunger got the best of him. As he began to eat he heard the door of the diner open. Turing his head he saw a slender, gray bunny walk inside.

...

Judy looked around the cafe with a queasy feeling. They were all predators. A few of them looked at her like they were wondering: "what's she doing here?" It was a fair question. This wasn't a place for her. She had on a black, sleeveless jumper with a folded collar and silver buttons down the front. She thought she could look classy and casual at the same time. Unfortunately this wasn't the look of any of the animals in the diner. All of them were wearing worn out work clothes, jeans with holes in them and ratty old hats and shirts. In her paws she held the case file she had made for Mrs. White's son, William. This was the last place he had been seen before disappearing. She even had a picture of him. He looked just like his mother. Snowy white fur with pink eyes, except he was a bit taller and not quite as slender.

Judy walked up to the counter. It had several different levels for every size of predator. The lowest counter started at the back of the room and grew as it got closer to the door. She went to the lowest one. A badger was standing behind it with a rag wiping down the tops.

"Excuse me," Judy said quietly. "I'm looking for Helen Harper, the owner of this restaurant."

The badger lifted her head and look at Judy with confusion. "Well, Helen Harper is right here, but should you be the one to be looking for her?"

Judy extended her hand to Honey. "Ms. Harper. Judy Hopps. We spoke on the phone?"

Honey's eyes widened. "You're detective Hopps?" Judy nodded, prompting Honey to start laughing. "I gotta say, when you said Hopps I was thinking you'd be a kangaroo! But you're a bunny. Oh, this is too good!"

Judy's nose twitched impatiently. "Ma'am, I really don't have time for this. William White is missing. He's your employee and this was the last place he was seen."

Honey immediately stopped laughing. Her eyes grew wide with concern. "William White is missing?"

"Yes," Judy said solemnly. "His mother has asked me to find him and bring him home. Mrs. White said the last time she saw him was when he left for work two nights ago. She also said he had the closing shift. Did he come to work? Did you see him last?"

Honey fiddled with the rag in her paws. "Will did come to work that night, but I wasn't the last person who saw him. That would be one of our fry cooks. A cheetah named Benjamin Clawhauser. Will's to smart for someone like Clawhauser, but they're good friends none the less. They left that night looking a little excited."

Judy was taking notes. "Is there any chance they might have been getting up to some... Mischief?"

"Boys do plenty of stupid things when they're young," Honey said shaking her head. "But Will is too smart to do anything really stupid and Benny is to stupid to do anything dangerous."

"So you don't think they would have gotten involved with the riots that went on that night?" Judy asked hesitantly.

The badger's eyes darkened. "Let me tell you something, Ms. Hopps, before you continue this investigation and get any ideas of what might be going. William White is a good kid. He's had a hard life but he works like there's no tomorrow. Don't you think, for one second, that he is some kind of criminal."

"Ms. Harper," Judy began. "I don't start investigations like this thinking the person I'm searching for is bad. Neither prey nor predator. At this point, what I think, is that I'm looking for a kid who might be in trouble. If he is in trouble can you think of what kind of trouble it might be? Can you think of anyone who might hurt him?"

Honey sighed. "The only situation I can think of where Will might get into trouble would be one where he thinks he can help his mother."

"Help his mother?" Judy mind went back to the sweet ferret she had spoken to only yesterday.

Honey shrugged. "She has a tumor Ms. Hopps. At the base of her neck. It's still growing and if it reaches her brain... it'll kill her. As you can imagine they don't have the money for an operation."

Judy's breath caught in her throat. "I- I see. Can you write down Clawhauser's address?"

After Honey wrote down the address Judy thanked her for her time and turned to leave.

"Judy." She turned back to face the badger. "I'm glad it's someone like you looking for Will. I'm glad it's not the police. You may not be a predator, but I get the feeling you understand what it is to be limited by what kind of animal you are."

Judy smiled. "You'd be right, Helen."

Honey smiled back. "Call me Honey."


	3. Chapter 3: Company Relations

Chapter 3: Company Relations

RRRRIIIIIINNNNGGGG!

The shrill noise woke Nick out of a pleasant dream. Picking up his phone he saw that it was his job.

"Hello," he said sluggishly.

"Hello," said a perky voice even more shrill than the ring of his phone. "Is this a Mr. Wilde?" Nick made a low grunt in reply. "Oh good! Mr. Wilde, Ms. Bellwether would like to see you."

That made him wake up. "The CEO of Wooly Dusters wants to see me?" Could this be his lucky day?

"Yes," replied the shrilly voice. "She said it was urgent."

Nick thanked the shrilly voice and hung up the phone. Jumping out a bed he wasn't sure whether he should scream or sing out for joy. Bellwether never called anyone into her office. He must have done something right. Nick had some of the best numbers for being a predator. Perhaps he was being rewarded for all his effort. No one had ever met the CEO. Maybe she was an understanding, nice animal. There was no way of knowing, but maybe Honey was right. If he kept fighting and pushing through maybe things would turn out the way they should. Nick got dressed in his best shirt, tie, and blazer. He made sure all of his fur was in place and his tail had no knots or mats in it. He even went as far to polish the light on his tame collar. Maybe it would make him look like more of a law abiding citizen.

Hopping into a cab Nick was driven to the heart of Zootopia. The closer the cab drove to the center the grander and more clean the surroundings got. All of the buildings were tall and made of glass. There were shopping malls and expensive apartments. This was where Zootopia's elite lived. Most of them were prey animals.

Soon the cab stopped in front of a tall glass building with the front entrance shaped like the doors to a white, alabaster barn. In the middle of the steps was a statue of a sheep with angel wings holding a wooly duster. It was all very grand and sort of ridiculous. Nick could barely hold back a snicker as he walked past the sheep that strove to look noble, but just looked silly. Inside at the front desk was a very fashionable looking gazelle with smart looking glasses, a forest green blazer, and a shock of wavy blonde hair that fell over one half of her face. She was tenderly watering the orchid sitting on the front of her desk.

"Hi, I'm here to see Ms. Bellwether." Nick leaned against the desk with all the swagger he could muster (despite barely being able to reach the top). "I have a feeling it's going to be my lucky day."

The gazelle looked up and smiled. "Ms. Bellwether's office is one the top floor."

Striding off to the elevator Nick felt pretty good. However, when he reached the top floor his heart was racing and threatening to beat out of his chest. When he saw Bellwether's assistant he thought he would faint. She was waiting for him as if she knew he would be there that second. The assistant was a mouse dressed in a pink skirt and blazer with a tiny desk sitting on a high podium by the door leading to Bellwether's office.

As soon as Nick stepped out of the elevator she smiled at him and gestured to the door. "You may go in now." With that he nodded and went inside.

When Nick opened the door he was struck. Not just by the size of the office, but by the openness. The entire penthouse office was nothing but windows looking out over Zootopia and white tiles streaked with gray. Off to the left of the door was a set of white couches with a small stone fountain in the middle and golden coy fish swimming in the bottom pool. Directly in front of him was was a large black desk with a white computer off to the right side and a mini tree off to the left made of copper wires and colored beads. On the back wall behind the desk was black wall of polished marble that stretched all the way up to the ceiling. It was all very fashionable and clean. Sitting behind the desk in a huge black leather high backed chair was a little white sheep only half the size of Nick himself. She was typing away at her computer stopping only a moment to adjust her large black glasses and dust something off of her long sleeve, lace collared blouse. Nick coughed for a moment to make his presence known.

The little white sheep looked up and smiled brightly at him. "Nicholas!"

Nick was taken aback. "You know my name?"

"Of course sweety," She said. "Wooly Dusters Inc. is a modern company. We're all about company relations here. It helps with company morale. As CEO I like to know the names of all my employees. Please, come have a seat!"

Nick stood frozen for a moment, not sure what to think. He had never been treated like this before. He slowly walked up to her desk and sat in the little white seat provided for him.

"Have you had breakfast today?" Bellwether's voice trilled out in musical concern as she leaned over her desk towards him. "Would you like coffee, some water. I can have my assistant order anything you want."

"N-No," Nick stammered. "I'm fine."

"Very well." The little sheep leaned back in her seat and pulled out a file. "Let's see, Nicholas P. Wilde. I see you've been working here for about two years. You were recently out of jail prior to you being hired here I understand." Nick gulped. He didn't think his past life would come into this meeting. Bellwether continued "Since then you've had a clean record, that's good. And so far you've done well in this company. However, this last month has been a bit slow... And progressively getting slower." At this Bellwether looked at Nick over her glasses.

"Uh- yes," Nick began hesitantly. "With the riots and everything... I suppose fewer and fewer animals want to buy from a..."

"From a predator," Bellwether finished. "Yes. Nicholas, I'm afraid that's what I brought you down here for. Do you know why we decided to hire you in the first place?" Nick shook is head promoting Bellwether to continue. "Because you're a fox." Nick stayed silent. He was in a state of confusion. "We as a company thought it would attract attention to our sheep related product if it happened to be sold by a fox. Us being natural enemies and all. Well now I'm afraid the joke's worn thin and well... We have to let you go."

"What!" Nick shouted standing up so fast the chair fell over. "You're firing me?"

"'Firing' is such a harsh word, Nicholas," Bellwether cooed. "You haven't done anything wrong. It's just that keeping you just isn't profitable anymore."

"'Isn't profitable anymore'?" Nick's tame collar turned yellow. "What do you expect me to do? Why did you call me down here only to fire me?"

"'Let you go' Nicholas." Bellwether smiled in her sticky way. "It's all part of company relations. And well... I don't expect you do to anything." She smirked coldly. "It's not like you can."

Nick growled in frustration when suddenly he realized what was happening, but at that moment it was too late. His shock collar went off causing him to yipe like a pup and stumble back over the chair. He fell hard on the floor wounding only his pride.

Bellwether threw her head back and laughed. "Like I said: it's not like you can do anything. Have a nice day."

With that Nick stood up and stormed out of the room. When he opened the door to leave Bellwether's office he saw a wolf sitting on a chair waiting to go in. Nick walked past him to fast to even feel sorry for him and what he was about to face.


	4. Chapter 4: The Raid

Chapter 4: The Raid

The windows of the rundown apartment building were dark. Inside the hallway it wasn't much better. The wallpaper was coming off and the white doors were stained with the numbers falling off. Judy wondered for a moment if it was worth knocking. To her it looked like no one was home. Still, she decided to try. Judy knocked on the door softly. Suddenly there was a loud crash from inside and the sound of someone scrambling around.

"Hello," Judy called. "My name's Judy Hopps. I'm looking for William White. Are you Benjamin Clawhauser?"

There was more sounds of frantic movement. Judy decided to try the door. Clearly whoever was inside was frightened of her. The door swung open easily to reveal a small living room in shambles. The couch was covered in chips, soda stains and pizza, the TV was smashed in and the lamp was on floor shattered to pieces. More sounds of shuffling came from from behind a door at the back of the room. Judy approached it cautiously.

"Don't be afraid," Judy called. "I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to know what happened to William White."

"How do I know you're not one of them," a voice asked from behind the door.

Judy stopped moving, feeling confused. "One of them? Who's them?"

"Those thugs who kidnapped my friend then came back and messed up my house. It's only a two room apartment you know." The voice tried to sound tough but failed miserably.

"Well, don't worry," Judy began. "I'm not one of them. I'm a detective hired by William's mother to find him. I need your help. Please."

There was no reply, but very slowly the door started to open. Peeking out of a closet came the face of Benjamin Clawhauser. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties and was extremely chubby for a Cheetah, the folds of his neck almost hiding his tame collar that glowed green in the dark. In his hands he held five donuts, cradling them like they were his babies. He was wearing a simple white shirt that appeared to be wet with sweat and tan kaki pants. Eying Judy closely he continued to stuff donuts in his mouth as he approached.

"What do you want with Will," Clawhauser asked through stuffed cheeks.

"I just want to know what happened after you and Will left work," Judy replied.

After some cleaning up of the room Judy and Clawhauser sat down. Once they did the frightened cheetah began his story. "After work me and Will came back to my place. We were gonna watch movies, eat pizza. Will also told me he had some friends he wanted me to meet. They were pretty cool. There was a water buffalo named Melvin and a bear named Sandy. We were having a good time, they seemed to know Will pretty well. I was actually surprised he was friends with two animals of that size. And Melvin was a prey animal! I mean how often does that happen?" Judy nodded continuing to write down notes. "Go on."

Clawhauser swallowed his fourth donut. "So we're on our third movie when suddenly there's this noise like someone's running up the stairs. At first I thought it was just one of the other tenants. Then the door to my apartment bursts open and there's a rhino, a hippo, and a zebra. Melvin suddenly tells me and Will to get behind the couch which neither of us hesitate to do. Next thing I know there's fighting going in my apartment. Like real butt-kicking! Unfortunately it was Melvin and Sandy who got their butts kicked. Once they were out the thugs came after Will and me. They hit me over the head. When I woke up I was lying on the couch. I think Melvin and Sandy put me there before taking off. When I came home from work today I found my home a disaster again. I was so terrified when you knocked on the door that I hid in my closet. Ms. Hopps, I think Will got away. I think that's why they came back. To see if he stopped here." Clawhauser paused for a moment, his eyes filling with tears. "I wish I could have done something. I wish I could have saved him. They took Will, and I couldn't do anything."

Judy paused her writing for a moment. "It's not your fault Clawhauser. What matters now is that you tell me anything you possibly can to help me find him. Can you think of anything that I might be able to identify these thugs with?"

Clawhauser wiped his tears for a moment. Then his head raised a little as a thought came to him. "They all had a tattoo. On their neck. It was... A plant of some kind with claw marks slashes across it. They didn't look identical, but they all had the same general idea."

"Do you think you could draw it for me?" Judy asked.

Clawhauser only nodded. He took her notepad and careful sketched out the tattoo."Thank you," he said. "For being so nice to me. I can't think of to many prey animals that would treat me this way. Melvin was different too. I hope I meet more prey animals like you two."

"You know Clawhauser," Judy began. "I just have this feeling in my heart. I don't know why, but I think things are going to change soon. I can't explain it. Somehow... I think my searching for Will is connected to that change."

...

Nick got home that day feeling discouraged. The only thing he could do at this point was search for a new job. He pulled out a newspaper and looked in all the columns for anything that looked like something he could do. When he didn't find anything there he called around town to different restaurants and fast food joints. A few we're hiring so he jotted those down and started putting together his resume.

As evening feel and the setting sun shone a sleepy golden light through Nick's apartment window did he stop his work and go lay down on his couch. He soon fell into a peaceful sleep purely out of exhaustion.

RRRRIIIIIINNNNGGGG!

Nick's phone blared around midnight. Picking up the phone he saw that the number was blocked. He took a chance and answered it anyway.

"Hello," Nick said.

"Is this Mr. Wilde," the voice was scratchy and older, but full of confidence and intelligence.

"Yes," Nick replied feeling very curios all of the sudden.

"I am very much in need of your special services at this time," the voice stated.

"What services?" Nick scoffed. "Sir, I don't sing and dance, I don't give massages or drive cars. So I'm not sure what services you're referring to."

"You know what services I'm talking about." The voice became impatient. "The ones that got you stuck in the slammer for two years."

the hair on Nick's back stood up. "I don't do that sort of thing anymore. Find some other fox to do your dirty work."

The voice paused for a moment. "I understand you got fired today."

"How- How did you know that?" Nick suddenly felt his blood run cold.

"I have my ways," the voice replied. "Now I know you're hard up for money. Every predator in Zootopia is. Don't tell me a little easy cash for someone of your talents doesn't sound like a BIG relief? So... tell me Nicky... Are you in or out?"


	5. Chapter 5: The Proposition

Chapter 5: The Proposition

Mayor Sonya Swinton sat in her office pausing her work for a moment to look out the window. Staring out over Zootopia she saw a gleaming city. Far off to the west were the sun was beginning to set was Sahara Square with it's shimmering Palm Tree Casino reaching into the sky with it's golden trunk, spraying out the top with green imitations of palm fronds. Vast valleys of sand stretched out to the city limits dotted with clusters of neighborhoods made up of comfortable white houses. Beyond it was the green pastures of Bunny Burrow and Deer Buck County looking so peaceful and full of life. Off to the left of Sahara Square was Tundra town with it's snowy wonderland and rivers of ice, but it was almost indistinguishable because of the puffs of snow being shot into the air every five minutes. Somewhere behind Swinton was the Rainforest District with it's lush canopies, bright flowers and ever present rain. If she looked over to the right of Sahara Square she would see Downtown, with millions of apartments of every size for many different kinds of animals stretching all the way to Savannah Central.

Swinton paused for a moment to look over Downtown. The buildings closest to City Central were newer and clean. They gleamed in the sun like a city made of diamonds. As Downtown stretched outward closer to Savannah Central the quality of the buildings diminished appearing to look like slums. So many predators lived there.

Swinton then examined herself in the glass. She was a pig of refinement. Her shock of blonde hair was styled to fall to the side in a feathery wave. The clothes she wore were professional and expensive with a coral dress and a navy blue blazer. She had known poverty in her life, but had sworn that she would never live like that again. She leaned over to check her lipstick in the glass when she heard a voice over the intercom.

"Mayor Swinton, Governor Sanza is here to see you."

Swinton stopped what she was doing and turned back around in her chair to face the door. "Send him in."

The door opened moments later allowing Governor Sanza to enter. "Swinton. I trust everything is well with you."

Swinton tilted her head wondering what he was doing here. "Everything is quite well. What brings you here to City Hall?"

Sanza closed the door behind him and approached the desk. "With all of the riots going on I wanted to make sure the document was safe."

Swinton stood and walked to the safe to the left of her desk. "Of course it's safe. Why are you so concerned? No one even knows it's here."

"Because in these times one must be extra sure that something like this stays out of the wrong hands," Sanza replied.

"You mean the Freedom Hunters," Swinton said.

Sanza only nodded in reply.

"Why won't you tell me what it is," she asked.

"Because," Sanza began. "Some things must stay buried forever."

...

Nick followed the instructions he was given to and abandoned warehouse. There was nothing inside except a few pigeons nesting in the rafters. Walking back outside he sat the curb feeling miserable. Another dead end.

His disappointment was short lived when a white limo pulled up to the warehouse and a polar bear dressed in business attire stepped out of the passenger door.

"Nicholas Wilde," he called.

"Just call me Nick," Nick said. "I've had enough of Nicholas. I take it you work for my employer?"

The polar bear nodded. With that Nick hopped into the car.

"Here," the polar bear said pulling out a piece of cloth. "You need to put this on."

Nick allowed for the blindfold to be put around his eyes. The car started and drove off. After a little while the temperature dropped. Nick guessed he was in Tundra Town.

"Um, could you maybe turn on the heater," Nick asked.

"No," was the polar bear's only reply.

So Nick sat there freezing the rest of the car ride until the car finally stopped. He was then picked up by the polar bear and carried by his shirt to somewhere inside. Nick could only tell this because the temperature rose slightly and the polar bear's feet made the sound of walking on a wood floor. When he was the finally set down the blindfold was removed.

The room was dark with the only light coming from a few candles on the mantle piece of a fireplace where a fire was lit, and a stream of sunlight through one window off to the left. From what Nick could tell the room was paneled from wall to wall with rick mahogany. Directly in front of him was large ornate desk with clawed feet and scroll work across the front. He was only alone for a moment. Soon another polar bear came in who was very large and went to stand behind the desk. Then a second one who was even larger who also went to stand behind the desk. Finally, the biggest polar bear Nick had ever seen sat down in the chair behind the desk. He gulped out a fear wondering if this was his employer, yet somehow this animal didn't match the voice he had heard on the phone. The polar bear at the desk set his folded hands on the desk and opened them to reveal an Arctic shrew.

the shrew was finely dressed in a silk black suit with his hair slicked back and bushy brows hiding his eyes.

"So. You must be the thief," the shrew said lazily.

"Um... yes," Nick replied still reeling from the reveal of the little shrew. "And you must be my employer. I don't believe I ever got your name."

"Big. Marlon Big. But you will call me Mr. Big or Sir." The shrew gestured for a chair to be brought out. "Please have a seat. Do you know why I brought you here?"

"Because you want me to steal something for you?" Nick asked as he sat down.

"That," Mr. Big began. "Is only part of the reason. I do have something I want you to steal. My associate and I had hoped you'd do it with honor, but clearly that is not what will motivate you. I have to buy you out."

Nick leaned forward in his seat in curiosity. "If you don't mind my asking, who is your associate?"

Mr. Big smiled. "She is here to inform you of your mission."

Another figure came into the room. She wore a black floor length velvet dress with long sleeves and a silver necklace with a hawk on the end.

"You," Nick exclaimed. "You're the leopard from the diner."

"Hello, Nic." The leopard had an amused look on her face. "My name is Angela Leopold."

Nick turned back to Mr. Big, completely astonished. "You work with the Freedom Hunters? Why? You're a prey animal you're not made to wear the tame collars."

"Look around you Nicky." Mr. Big gestured around the room at the polar bears. "Look at the animals I work with. I see the effects of the tame collar every day, I see it on their families, and I see the effect it has had on you. This is unnecessary and hinders the quality of life. It is a brand, a mark, a scarlet letter that no animal should have to live with; a punishment where no sin was committed."

"Don't you see Nick," Angela interjected. "There are prey animals that are against the tame collars as much as we are. This is the time for change. This is why we need you."

"And you're willing to pay well for this job," Nick asked.

Angela rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Yes. Can't you do this for some reason other than money?"

"Oh yes," Nick replied. "It's called 'I'm out of a job'. Why do you need something stolen? I thought Freedom Hunters was a group of 'intelligent' protestors. Not rebels."

Angela grew tense. "Unfortunately... Some new information has come to light. We are forced to take measures that are... Very unorthodox for our organization."

"In other words," Nick let a little smirk slip. "You need to commit a crime."

"We are doing what needs to be done," Angela replied.

"So you called and expert on thievery." He had hit a nerve as Angela's collar turned from green to yellow.

"Nicky," Mr. Big got his attention and Angela's collar turned back to green. "The morals of our actions are not your concern. You are being payed to do a job."

"Alright." Nick leaned back in his chair. "What do you need me to steal?"

Mr. Big looked up at Angela for a moment who then nodded back to him. "We need you to steal a document from City Hall."


	6. Chapter 6: The Exception

Chapter 6: The Exception

Judy's face fell forward onto the keys of her laptop as she pulled on her ears in frustration. She had searched every website on pop-culture images, every written language, every example of early cave drawings, every sport team mascot etc. the list could go on. There was nothing that talked about a branch with claw marks across is. It had been a long night and as the sun was streaming through her window Judy decided to step away from her work. Maybe she would come back with a fresh perspective. Walking into the kitchen she cut herself a slice of carrot coffee cake and decided to make a pot of coffee. As she waited for the coffee to brew she nibbled on her carrot coffee cake thoughtfully.

Why anyone would ever get a tattoo was beyond Judy. She had convictions, but not enough to brand it on her skin. Especially since it was so painful. If an animal with fur wanted a tattoo they had to shave the place where they wanted it done before the design was put in the skin. Eventually the hair where it was would grow back discolored so that it showed up. Some animals could make the tattoos look really cool. On others it just looked try hard. Judy smiled to herself for a moment. She imagined that if she ever did get a tattoo she would get a rose.

Suddenly it came to her. She was looking for the wrong thing. Instead of looking for the group the tattoo symbolized she should be looking for the place that gave the tattoo. With that revelation Judy shoved the rest of her carrot cake into her mouth and ran back her her computer. With a quick search she soon found that there were about five tattoo parlors so in Zootopia and the closest one was in Downtown. Printing out addresses and directions Judy ran back to her room and got dressed. Grabbing her directions and her coffee she ran out the door to her next location.

Judy was on her last tattoo parlor. So far no one had see done the tattoo she was searching for. The first two had been more high end parlors with fancier equipment and nicer interiors. The quality went down the further away she got from the center of the city. This place was a hole in the wall. Walking inside she saw the walls were painted black, covered in band posters. Light bulbs hung from the ceiling in random places casting uneven light in the lobby. Judy walked up to the front desk where a lioness sat reading a magazine wearing a black shirt cropped half way down and falling off one shoulder Her eyes were black all the way around with heavy liner and a nose ring was in her right nostril. Half way down one arm she had a tattoo of a lace sleeve with flowers woven in. Her tame collar had red roses painted on it with large thorns sticking out from them in defiance. The lioness finally noticed Judy and turned her face her. She smiled in an amused sort of way.

"So," she began. "You want to rebel, stick out, or redefine yourself?"

"Excuse me." Judy stared, feeling perplexed.

"Why do you want a tattoo?" The lioness asked. "Those are generally the reasons someone like you comes in to get one."

"Someone like me?" Judy felt her cheeks flush.

"Clean cut prey animal with some money who isn't taken seriously because of her size and apparent cuteness." The lioness smirked like she had caught her prey.

Judy's mouth hung open for a moment. She wasn't there to get a tattoo, but the touch of insight was startling. "No. My name's Judy Hopps, I'm a private detective. I'm here because I want to know if you've given anyone this tattoo." Judy handed her Clawhauser's drawing.

The lioness studied the drawing. "Let me get my boyfriend. We run this parlor together. He does all the tattoos. I'm sure he could tell you."

She got up from her desk and went into the back room. A moment later she came back followed by another lion in a black shirt with a red flannel over it and a pair of blue jeans. His mane was completely shaved except for a golden lock that fell over his left eyebrow. The sleeves of his flannel were rolled up to reveal full sleeves of tattoos depicting many different faces of various animals with names under each one. There was something sentimental about it.

"This tattoo." the lion lifted up the piece of paper, his face set in a stern manner. "What do you know about it?"

"Nothing," Judy replied. "Only that it belongs to three thugs. Can you tell me what it's of?"

The two lions glanced at each other momentarily before the male spoke to Judy. "It's an olive branch with claw marks across it."

"An olive branch," Judy exclaimed. "Can you tell me who these animals were?"

"Two of them payed with cash," the lioness said. "One payed with debit, he's the only one we could tell you anything about."

"That's all I need," Judy sighed. "If you could give me his information you'd be a big help."

"We're not actually allowed to," the lion stated crossing his arms. "We can't just give you the information of a client."

"I know," Judy said lifting her hands in a pleading gesture. "But, these animals have attacked someone's home and attempted to kidnapped a kid. There's a possibility that he got away, but his mother is counting on me to find him. My investigation has lead me here. I can prove I'm a detective and that this investigation is real." Judy pulled a binder out of her bag. "I can show you my certificate and what agency I got it from, I can show you past cases I've worked on and direct you to animals who have hired me, even my current client. I know I can't make you give me the information I need, but if you don't help me I've hit a dead end."

The two lions stared Judy for a moment.

"When you first walked in you were very easy to read." The lioness walked around to the computer at the desk. "I think you're telling the truth." She looked to her boyfriend for his confirmation. "I think so to," he said. " Go ahead. Pull up the card info."

The lioness typed quickly on the computer. Then she grabbed a piece of paper and wrote something down. "It doesn't have his name on the card, but it does say what company gave it to him."

"Company," Judy said confused.

"Yah," the lion went to stand behind the desk. "Some large businesses or companies hand out debit cards for instant deposit checks. The animal you're looking for probably doesn't have a bank account or a credit card. Might be a youth with his first job perhaps."

Judy nodded as she was handed the paper. "What do you think the tattoo meant?"

"Another reason we decided to help you was because we didn't like the look of the animals who came in to get those tattoos," the lion said. "They were looking at us like they knew something we didn't, they were extremely rude while they were here, and they didn't tip when they left saying that didn't owe us predators anything." The lions collar turned flashed yellow for a moment before turning back to green. "Normally I wouldn't say that's a reason to release someone's personal information but... I think this is one of those moments where you have to make an exception... times being what they are."

"Thank you," Judy said, a huge smile across her face. "This means a lot."

Judy turned to leave before she was stopped by the lion. "Just out of curiosity, what's the kid's name? The one you're looking for? We can keep an ear and eye out for him."

"He's a snowy ferret named William White." And with that Judy left.

When she looked out at the piece of paper she saw his credit card number and the name of where the thug worked.

City Hall.


	7. Chapter 7: The Mission (Part 1)

**Note: hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait. School started and things have been busy! I hope you like this chapter. It took a long time and it's still not done!**

 **'Sigh'**

 **please review! I want to hear what you guys have to say. Critique, observations, predictions, favorite scene, etc. let me hear your voices! It's always wonderful when I see a new review/ comment.**

 **love, Silver525600 (or Sil)**

Chapter 7: The Mission (Part 1)

Staring at himself in the mirror, Nick felt strange to be in his old work clothes. And by work he meant thievery. The years that had gone by. The things that had changed.

How much he had missed this.

Black pants and a black hoodie was all he needed. It was the tool belt that he was really proud of. His original tool belt had been destroyed to prevent him from ever stealing again, but Mr. Big was kind enough to recreate the one he had owned previously. With a few new additions. Inside was an assortment of tools he couldn't wait to use. Examining himself in the mirror one more time he saw Angela standing behind him with her own espionage clothes comprised of black yoga pants and a leather jacket. Her tail flicked from side to side impatiently.

"Alright darlin' I'm ready to go." Nick turned to face her looking her up and down as he admired her athletic frame.

"Don't call me that," she said. There was a slight growl in her voice as she turned to leave the room.

Nick looked to Mr. Big who was standing on the shoulder on one of his polar bears. "Wish us luck." He made a salute motion to the shrew as he went to follow Angela out the door.

"No," Mr. Big said when Nick was out of ear shot. "I wish you success."

...

Judy napped quietly in the most awkward position with her legs curled up against her chest and her ears hitting a metal roof. She was stuffed in a locker in the break room of City Hall.

It had been a long day.

When she wasn't allowed to review any of the staff files she had been ready to come back late at night. It wouldn't have been the first time Judy had needed to break the law. Thankfully doing so would be a lot simpler. As she was leaving she ran into her old friend Mrs. Otterton at the front desk.

A long time ago Mrs. Otterton's husband had gone missing. Turned out he had accidentally sold some potent flower to a chemist trying to create a powerful drug to sell on the market for party animals. When Mr. Otterton had gotten wind of it he had tried to set things right. He wanted to get the flowers back without getting caught or having to go to the police. This plan had clearly failed when Judy found him lying in an alley way with many cuts and bruises and signs of intoxication. Clearly the chemist had decided to test the potency of the drug on him. The dose of course was meant to be fatal. At the hospital Judy told the biggest lie ever in her career. She explained that Mr. Otterton had been robbed at his flower shop. When he had tried to go after his flowers the thief turned on him and injected him with a lethal amount of drugs that the thief was clearly carrying for his own amusement. When Otterton woke up he confirmed all Judy had said. The lie kept him out of jail and suspicion. The parts of the information that were true helped the police catch the chemist. Turned out is was a ram named Doug. Now Mrs. Otterton was returning the favor.

It was extremely late now. Everything was silent. After a little bit of time passed Judy heard the sound of feet moving down the hallway. They were small and moved quickly. When the feet stopped Judy heard the ticking of the lock on the locker she was in. The door was opened and Judy hopped out, glad to be out of the cramped space. Mrs. Otterton stood next to the door in her small pink skirt and sweater with her shiny fur and twitching whiskers.

She smiled up and Judy nervously. "I'm glad I could help you, but you must hurry. You shouldn't stay long. And don't take the elevator it's shut off for maintenance."

Judy hugged the small otter tightly. "Thank you. This means so much." And with that Judy took off.

...

The limo provided by Mr. Big stopped a few blocks away from City Hall. Nick and Angela jumped our and ran to the side of the building to hide in a shadowy alleyway. In the darkness is seemed that all of Zootopia was asleep.

"Alright," Angela looked up and down the building then back at Nick. "Your the master thief. How are we going to steal the document."

Nick smiled. "We're going to do a 'hit and run'."

"Hit and run," Angela started. "We don't want to draw attention to ourselves."

"We're not going to," the cocky fox said. "The point of my 'hit and run' method is to get in and get out as fast as we can without getting caught."

"Isn't that the point of every theft," Angela sat into her right hip with her arms cross making Nick feel a little stupid.

"Yes," Nick crossed his arms and set into his right hip, trying to match Angela's stance. "But the other point is to not bother with whether or not we leave behind traces of a theft."

The leopardess shifted slightly as she listened to this second point.

"Most of the time, when I stole something I would make sure to clean up after myself," Nick continued. "That way the person I stole from wouldn't be able to figure it out so quickly or that it was me. In this instance it's a bit more time sensitive, also as soon as the animals in City Hall figure out that the document is missing they'll know it was us."

Angela nodded. "Ok. So what's the plan?"

"For starters," Nick replied. "Get me to the side of the building where the document is located."

"Got it. We have an informant on the inside who's going to let us in. Follow me." And with that Angela took off with Nick close behind.

...

Judy ran swiftly and quietly up the stairs, her soft feet made no noise of on the concrete steps. She had to run almost all the way to the top. Fortunately she was a fantastic endurance runner as well as fast. Within fifteen minute she was finally at the twelfth floor. Opening up the door of the stairwell she stepped into a large room full of smaller offices. Running to the far end she stepped into the office Mrs. Otterton had instructed her to. The name on he door read Leslie Knope. Who ever that was Judy felt guilty for having to invade her privacy. With a quick pick of the lock the door swung open quietly and easily. She looked around the room for a moment. On the walls we pictures of past female politicians and various awards. Judy went around to the desk and looked at the pictures. One picture was of a perky, slender, blond rabbit shaking the hand of a large grumpy looking water buffalo with an interesting mustache. Judy could only assume the blond rabbit was Leslie. Who ever the other animal was he as clearly unimpressed with Leslie's enthusiasm. The next picture was also of Leslie and a panther in a vest, tie, and fedora. They were holding drinks in what appeared to be a night club with all sorts of lights in the background. They looked like they were having a good time. The last picture on the desk was a one of lioness in a nurse's outfit and a jacket sitting on a couch with her back paws tucked up, clutching a pillow with only her eyes peaking out from behind it playfully. Judy smiled to herself thoughtfully. This rabbit had a variety of friends who weren't just prey animals. It was a nice thought that perhaps she wasn't the only one who felt predators were equals.

Logging onto the computer with the password and username provided by Mrs. Otterton Judy set to work to finding her thug. She pulled up the employee files and searched through every zebra, hippo, and rhino she could find, trying to find a match to the debit card number she had. At last she found the card number matched a rhino named Carl Hornsby. He was a janitor at City Hall and had been working here for about three months. Writing his information down Judy turned off the computer, walked out of the office, and locked the door again.

Suddenly there was the sound of someone letting out a shriek coming from the floor above her. Judy turned and ran up the stairs wondering if it might be Mrs. Otterton.

...

Nick hung from a thin piece of wire attached to his belt. This part or theft he didn't miss. Looking down he realized he was fourteen floor up. Gulping for a moment he turned his head quickly to face the window in front of him. Next to him Angela looked serene and composed. He didn't understand how she could be so calm. A few minutes passed in silence then their was the sound of someone opening a window near by, just of to the left. A small head poked out to smile at Nick and Angela. It was the face of a small, female otter with a pink sweater and bright eyes.

"Ms. Leopold," the otter said with a smirk. "I believe we have an appointment."

"Right you are, Mrs. Otterton." With that Angela pushed off the glass and swung into the open window.

Nick hesitated momentarily. Then with a groan of frustration he pushed off the glass, sailed in a half circle and through the window. Unfortunately Angela was still removing her belt. Nick slammed into her full force causing her to let out a yell.

"Could you be any more clumsy?" Angela hissed.

"Well, you shouldn't have been standing directly in front of the glass." Nick brushed himself off, slipped off his belt and latched it to a chair by the window. "Now, why don't you introduce me to your friend here."

Angela huffed for a moment then composed herself. "Nick Wilde, this is Ann Otterton."

"A pleasure to meet you Mrs. Otterton," Nick took her hand a kissed it lightly. "We are so grateful for your assistance."

Mrs. Otterton laughed. "Well aren't you the charmer. You know if you worked some of that magic on Angela over here you might have a friend as opposed to a reluctant comrade."

"Well, Mrs. Otterton I tried- I really tried. " Nick turned to Angela with a smirk. "Some animals just don't appreciate my wily charms."

"Sure Wilde," Angela began. "Your about as charming and smooth as an elephant on rollerskates."

"That's enough you two," Mrs. Otterton laughed. "Now stop acting like cubs and we can get to work and get out of here."

there was a small sound of pitter- patter coming towards the room and then of the door opening. Standing in the door way was a slender gray rabbit with a dark blue blouse and black jeans. Nick froze thinking they might have been caught.

Mrs. Otterton whipped around and let out a gasp. "Judy, what are you doing here?"

"I heard a yell," The rabbit replied as she eyed Nick and Angela suspiciously. "I was worried you might be in trouble so I ran to find you. Who are these animals?"

"Ann, who is this," Angela asked in shock.

"Detective Judy Hopps," the rabbit replied straitening herself up. "I'm here on a case."

"What," Angela's eyes flashed with impatience at Mrs. Otterton.

"Angela, I let her in here," She confessed. "She's searching for William White."

Angela's face went slack. She turned to Judy and stalked toward her. "Do you know where he is?"

Despite the obvious twitching of Judy's nose she stood her ground. "No, but I believe his disappearance is connected to the riots. One of his kidnappers, or attempted kidnappers, works in this building. I came here to find his files."

Angela's eyes narrowed. "Stay with us until this mission is over. We're going to take you back to headquarters. I think we're going to have to work together to find William White."

The leopardess extended her hand. Judy paused for a moment before shaking it. The who females had reached an understanding.

"Come on," Mrs. Otterton called. "We're losing time."

The animals took one more flight of stairs to the top level. Upon reaching the top floor Mrs. Otterton directed them to the Mayor's office. Opening the door they walked inside to find clean cream walls, a maroon rug and large, brown desk facing away from a large window looking down on all of Zootopia.

"Nick," Angela said. "Get started on the safe. Judy, keep and eye on him. Mrs. Otterton, outside with me."

"Why do I suddenly need babysitting?" Nick scoffed.

"Because I don't trust you," Angela replied.

"Oh, but you trust the rabbit you just met? What was it? Julie?" Nic directed that last remark on Judy in a mocking tone.

"It's Judy," Judy said scrunching her nose.

"Yes Nick," Angela said like she was talking to a child. "As matter of a fact I do trust her, because Ann does." And with that they left the room.

Nick just shook his head and turned to the safe. "Oh this looks way to easy." Nick places his paws around the keypad a ripped it out revealing tons of inter tangled wires. "Maybe not."

Judy leaned back against the wall and sighed. "So, Nick, you're a thief."

"And you're a detective," Nick examined a yellow wire before giving it a snip. "And we're in the same room. These are strange times."

"Yah," Judy let out a laugh. "That's what's strange, not just that we're natural enemies. I suppose that doesn't matter though. There's a bigger picture here. It's nice to see all different kinds of animals working towards the same goal."

Nick almost turned his head to make a sharp retort for being associated with the Freedom Hunters, but when he saw Judy's sweet half smile as she looked out the window over Zootopia he couldn't do it. So he stayed silent and turned his face back to the wires. Instead he asked: "Who's William White?"

Judy's ears dropped at this question as she continued to stare out the window. "He's a kid, and I think he's in some serious trouble. Especially now that Angela wants me to come back with you guys to headquarters."

"What kind of animal is he?" Nick was becoming more and more curious. Talking seemed to her relax him and distract from the pressure.

"He's a ferret," Judy replied turning back to look at Nick.

The fox put paused for a moment surprised by this response, but he kept his eyes of the wires. "You're looking for a predator?" Another thought crossed Nick's mind. "Do you assume he's a criminal?"

A look of frustration flashed across Judy's face then softened. "I know it's customary for predators to think that a prey animal like me would consider all predators to be bad, but I don't think that way. No, I don't think William's a criminal. He's just a kid who's mother wants him home." When Nick remained silent Judy thought to ask another question. She was feeling very curious about this fox herself. "So... How did you end up working with the Freedom Hunters?"

Nick felt his cheeks grow hot. Why did he suddenly feel ashamed? "I don't actually work with them... I got payed to do this job."

"Oh." Judy felt a wave of disappointment come over here. Why did she care?

"Why don't you work with the Freedom Hunters?" Nick asked turning the conversation over.

Judy dropped her head for a moment. "I guess I never really thought about it. Strange, since I'm considered one of the few pray animals that would actually help a predator."

"That's another thing I don't get," Nick pulled away from the wires and pointed at her with his wire cutters. "You don't strike me as a detective."

"Because I'm a bunny?" Judy crossed her arms with a little smirk. "That's about the same as me saying you look perfect to be a thief, you know- since you're a fox."

Nick lowered the arm he was pointing at her with as his ears dropped a little. He hastily turned back to his work and let out a laugh. "I have to say, this has been a very revealing conversation. The times they are a changin'. Animals are becoming exactly what they are and what they are not all at the same time."

Judy laughed a little. "I agree."

With a final snap of a wire the safe make a click noise and opened. "Hey! Results!" Nick shouted triumphantly.

Inside the safe was an old leather binder. Nick grabbed it and examined it momentarily.

"What is that?" Judy asked.

"A game changer," Angela replied as she and Mrs. Otterton came back into he room. "Good work, Wilde."

Before Angela could even finish speaking an alarm went off blaring in their ears.

"I think I spoke to soon," Angela yelled over the noise.

"Didn't I sat this was going to be a hit and run?" Nick shrugged.

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8: The Mission (part 2)

Chapter 8: The Mission (Part 2)

"Come on," Mrs. Otterton yelled. "The police will be here any minute."

Without hesitation Angela, Nick and Judy followed Mrs. Otterton out the door and to the lower level. Upon reaching the window through which they'd come Angela spied animals in the street trying to discern the meaning of the commotion.

"Can we still leave out the window," Nick asked grabbing his belt.

"No," Angela replied. "Someone will see us and their isn't time to get down."

"So what do we do?" Judy felt her fear and frustration rise. Her own mission had gone according to plan. She should have been home by now, safe and sound. Instead she was about to get caught for a crime she wasn't apart of and get busted for another crime that she did commit. Perhaps she could hide in the locker again. Then she remembered that Angela was connected to William White. She had to help them escape. Only question was: How? "Wait a minute. Nick, do you still have those wire cutters with you?"

Nick whipped out his tool quickly.

"Ok," Judy said turning to Mrs. Otterton. "First things first, we have turn off this noise. The police may not check the building if they think the siren going off was a fluke."

"Right," Mrs. Otterton took the lead. "Follow me."

She lead them to the elevator.

"I thought you said it was out of order," Nick stated perplexed.

"Doesn't mean we can't use it." Mrs. Otterton turned to Angela. "Can you get the door open?"

The leopardess nodded and went to the doors. Wedging her fingers in the crack of the elevator door she pushed them apart. Nick, Judy, and Mrs. Otterton peaked down the shaft.

"This goes to the basement." Judy felt excitement rise in her chest.

"I hate heights." Nick just felt his stomach plummet.

Without another moment of hesitation Mrs. Otterton took off her sweater jumped onto one of the cables sliding down it with her sweater protecting her hands. Angela handed Judy her jacket who followed quickly behind. Angela slipped on her gloves and leaped to follow her friends. Nick groaned, put on his own gloves and did the same.

as they slid down the cable the light of the world outside began to fade until they were in total darkness. The wind rushed through their fur making them feel cold and excited. As Nick's blood began to race he heard his collar beep and it turned yellow. He gasped knowing what was about to happen. With the sound of a spark he felt a shock go through his body causing him to let go of the cable and plummet to bottom. In a moment of awareness Nick grabbed onto Angela, causing her to yell and let go. With a thud they hit the top of the elevator.

"Could you please stop being so clumsy," Angela yelled above the sirens which had grown louder. "What if I had fallen on Judy and Mrs. Otterton?"

"Well, you didn't," Nick retorted back. "And it's not like I have control of my fear and therefore my collar, meaning: I get shocked."

"Ugh!" Angela cried. "We have to get these things off!"

Judy and Mrs. Otterton slid down and landed neatly on the top of the elevator one after the other.

"Are you ok?" Judy asked extending a paw to Nick's arm which he was holding at a funny angle. "We saw you fall."

"We're fine, Carrots." Nick pulled back from Judy, not wanting to appear weak.

Judy clenched her first for a moment."Don't call me Carrots. Let's just get to the basement."

In the middle of the elevator was a service hatch that was already opened. Jumping inside Angela parted the doors same as before. The loudness of the sirens were amplified by the darkness as hearing was now the only sense they could use. Judy trembled. Her ears fell down and her nose twitched. A certain instinct crept its way down her spine urging her to flee. A paw came to rest on her shoulder. It was small so it must have been Mrs. Otterton.

Judy swallowed. "Ok. Who here is nocturnal?"

"That would be me," Judy heard the sound of Nick's voice. "My eyes are starting adjust. Let me find a switch."

"There isn't any time," Angela cried. "Can you turn off the siren in the dark?"

"Yes," Nick replied quickly before taking off into the dark. There was the sound of a box opening and then a snip of the wire cutters followed by a yell. Then everything fell silent. The sirens were off.

"Nick!" Angela ran into the dark.

"I'm fine," Nick's voice replied from the black. "Squeezing my cutters made my wrist hurt. I think it's sprained.

He and Angela came forward. Nick was clutching his wrist closer to his body.

"Alright," Mrs. Otterton said. "The alarm is off. Now we have to move."

Judy nodded. "Where are the stairs?"

"They're back by the electrical box," Nick replied.

The three predators and one prey animal moved together to the stairs. After a brief climb the reached the first level. Opening a door, Mrs. Otterton poked her head through and stared into the lobby. The police cars were visible right outside the glass doors.

"There's only one way to get out of this," Angela whispered. "Nick, Judy, get somewhere safe and stick together."

"Wait, Angela, what are you gonna do?" Nick cried.

"Don't go to a hospital and don't go back to either of your houses," Angela ignored Nick's question. "Whatever you do make sure the case is safe. If I'm not with you again at the end of tomorrow take the case to Mr. Big and begin the search for William White. He's the only one who's going to understand what's inside."

Judy let out a gasp and clutched the file she had on Will's kidnapper.

"Angela," Mrs. Otterton cried. "Don't do this. There has to be a better way."

"there isn't time, Ann," Angela said. "We may have turned off the siren, but there's a good chance they'll still search the building. We only delayed them."

Mrs. Otterton nodded. "Be careful Angela."

"Nick." The fox looked up at Angela at the sound of her voice. "You're a better mammal than you say you are." Lastly she turned to Judy. "I'm glad we ran into you tonight. I wasn't sure about finding Will, but you might mean the difference between failure and success in this venture."

"I'll do my best, " Judy's voice cracked as she felt the weight of that statement.

With that Angela took off across the lobby. She stopped short of the door. When the police saw her the rhino in the lead broke through the glass and chased her across the lobby. Angela leaped on top of the receptionist's desk, turned and summersaulted over the heads of the officers. Hitting the ground running she took off out the door and down the street. The police ran back to their cars while others chased her on foot. Sirens blared then faded into silence.

"How is she not going to get caught," Nick wondered aloud as he crept into the lobby now strewn with broken glass.

"Angela has her ways," Mrs. Otterton replied. "She'll most likely run across the rooftops."

Once outside Judy insisted that Mrs. Otterton leave them here and go home. The slender otter nodded and ran back to her car a block away while Judy lead Nick to hers.

"We can't go back to my house or yours," Judy said starting her tiny car. "So where do we go?"

Nick sat with his knees tucked up to his chest in Judy's tiny car clutching his wrist. "I think I know a place. You ever been to Honey's Soup Kitchen?"


	9. Chapter 9: The File (Part1)

Chapter 9: The File (Part 1)

Honey got up from her bed in the middle of the night after being awoken by a loud banging. She walked down the stairs to her diner below her apartment. Standing on the other side of the glass door was Nick and Judy. Quickly, she ran to the door and opened it to let them in.

"What are you doing here," Honey asked pulling Nick by the elbow causing him to yell. "You're hurt. Wait, how do you two know each other?"

"It's a long story," Judy replied. "We have to help Nick first."

Honey led them up to her apartment and began wrapping Nick's wrist. Sitting on the couch in the small, two room apartment everyone was silent for a little while.

Honey finally broke the silence. "So what's the story?"

Judy and Nick exchanged glances. Judy turned back to face Honey. "We're not sure how much we can tell you."

"You think I don't know about Nick being hired by the Freedom Hunters?" Honey looked up from the splint she was making on Nick's arm. "Or about Ann Otterton and Angela Leopold? What I'd like to know is what happened to them? Why isn't Angela here?"

Nick sat there with his jaw dropped. "You're a Freedom Hunter?"

"Yes I am." Honey replied finishing the wrapping. "Now answer the question."

Judy told the story of the heist, how they ran into each other, opened the safe, slid down the elevator cable to get to the basement to turn off the alarm, and how Angela risked herself to let them escape. "She said that if she wasn't back with us by the end of tomorrow we need to take the case to Mr. Big ourselves."

"Wait! Judy!" Nick sat up strait in alarm. "Angela doesn't even know where we are!"

"Funny," Honey laughed. "She was gonna bring you here after the mission. She's a smart girl, I'm sure she'll figure it out. And if not she'll catch up with you at Mr. Big's"

"What if she doesn't come at all?" Judy's nose quivered in concern. "What they caught her? What if..."

Judy didn't finish the sentence. Both her's and Nick's ears dropped.

"What ever happens to Angela this mission has to be completed." Honey stood up and stretched. "Now, if you two don't mind I'm going back to bed. You can sleep down here. There's pillows and blankets in the closet. I'll see you in the morning."

Judy leaned back against the couch staring up at the ceiling. Nick did the same. After a few moments deep in thought Judy stood up, went to the closet and pulled out a large blue blanket. Throwing it on the couch Nick helped her adjust it with his one hand until they were able to share the blanket and the couch by laying at either end with their heads going opposite directions.

"What do you think is in the file?" Nick asked as Judy climbed under the blanket.

Judy sat for a moment once she had the blanket over her lap. "I think it's something that will get rid of the tame collars once and for all."

"How could it get rid of the tame collars? It's a piece of paper." Nick leaned back. "The tame collars were invented because the government believed the killer instinct will never truly evolve out of our system."

"Do you really believe that?" Judy asked.

Nick turned his gaze back to her. He saw her nose quiver with curiosity and something else. Sympathy? "No. Unfortunately what I believe has never counted for anything."

Judy shrugged. "A lot of people think that. But that might change sooner than you think. You know, if what Ang-" she paused and swallowed. "If this file really is a game changer."

"Who knows," Nick said. "I suppose we'll find out tomorrow."

...

Judy sat nervously with a cup of tea in her hand. two polar bears dressed in fine black suits with silk lapels stood behind the desk as they waited for their boss to arrive. She glanced over at Honey and Nick who sat contentedly. This Mr. Big can't be to bad if they aren't scared. Judy breathed deeply and tried to relax. Maybe she had nothing to be scared of after all. She took a sip of tea reveling for a moment in the fact that it tasted rather like Mrs. White's homemade brew. Then a third polar bear entered, even larger than the other two. Judy's heart began to race. He sat down with his hands folded on the desk. His face was stern and hard set. Judy felt her heart sink. Then he opened up his hands and out stepped and little shrew. She was in a little green dress with white polka dots. She smiled brightly as she twirled a strand of hair. The rest of it was ratted and piled high on her head in a fancy 1960's beehive.

"Hi!" She said waving her hand.

Judy tilted her head in surprise.

"Hello, Adelaide," Honey said warmly. "This is Judy and Nick. The two new associates of your dad."

"Oh I heard all about Nick." Her thick Brooklyn accented trilled along happily. "But I haven't heard a word about Judy."

"Hi," Judy waved sheepishly. "Love your hair."

"Aw, thank you," Adelaide said twirling her hair again.

"Actually," Honey began. "Your dad hasn't met Judy either."

"Yah." Nick leaned back in his chair and placed his good arm behind his head glancing over at Judy with a sleepy half smile. "We sort of picked her up."

Judy felt her face heat up, turning away quickly from his gaze. She wondered to herself for a moment why that kept happening.

Adelaide glanced between them, noticing the moment. "Well, my daddy should be down any minute. I just thought I'd come down to meet the thief I heard all about and make sure everyone liked their tea."

Judy shifted back to reality remembering the familiarity of the tea. "Yes, this tea is lovely. Where did it come from?"

"Oh," Adelaide giggled happily. "I'm investing some of my own money in a new business. Daddy says it's a good practice. This lovely ferret named Jenny White."

Nick's eyes opened wide as he looked down at the little shrew. "Any relation to William White?"

Judy's face went slack.

"Yah!" Adelaide smiled. "Another one of daddy's friends, that's how I met her. She's his mother."

"Oh- h-how nice." Judy forced a smile. She couldn't bring herself to tell Adelaide that Mrs. White was dying.

"Very nice indeed." Another voice came from the door of the office.

Another polar bear came into the room with another Arctic shrew sitting in his hand. He was dressed in a small black suit with a red flower in his lapel. The polar bear set him down next to Adelaide who smiled and hugged the newcomer.

"My sweet daughter is learning to be an investor and has chosen Mrs. White as the first recipient of her inheritance." Mr. Big smiled lovingly as he kept an arm around his daughter's shoulder. "I could not be more proud." His gaze turned to Judy. "Now, would someone like to inform me who our lovely guest is and where Angela has gone?"

Nick's smile faltered. Honey stepped up and told the story to save Nick and Judy from having to relive the tale of their lost friend.

Mr. Big's face remained the same throughout the story, keeping his arm around his daughter who reacted with starts and little sighs of relief at every major event. When the story was finished Mr. Big patted his daughter, removed his arm and stepped toward the small party. "Don't worry yourselves about Angela, I have connections with the chief of police. If she was caught, and I doubt she was, I'll have her here with us soon enough."

Judy and Nick sighed.

Mr. Big chuckled softly. "Now, where is the file?"

Nick pulled out the case from under his chair and handed it to the polar bear standing on Mr. Big's left. Setting the case on the desk and opening it with a click they found inside a stack of papers and a reel of film. Taking the papers out of the case and setting them down on the table Mr. Big began shifting them around on the table and putting them in order to be able to read them properly. Nick sat rigidly in his seat wondering if they would find anything worth while. He was at a loss as to why he cared. By now he should have asked for his money and left, but something kept him in his seat.

After a great deal of shuffling of the papers Mr. Big finally spoke. "As you know the tame collar was invented when it was no longer profitable for predators and prey animals to live apart due to the difficulties of surviving our environment. It started out as a collar with spikes predators were required to wear when they were around prey animals. They collar would poke them in the neck and cause them pain reminding them not to make any sudden or aggressive movements. As society required prey and predator to integrate further and technology advanced the legislation regarding the tame collar was amended. Now predators must wear the tame collar at all times and are given theirs at a particular age. This file, we were told, was a bit of legal discrepancy we could use to argue our case. This is not the truth. This document is saying there was a third amendment that was supposed to be enacted two years ago, but... it was never written down."

"Never written down!" Nick stood up hurriedly and winced at the his wrist. His tame collar beeped yellow. "It was meant to remove the tame collars wasn't it?"

"Nicky," Mr. Big eyed him sternly. "Sit down. This reel of film is the only form of documentation. If it was executed correctly then it may be considered valid."

Judy placed her paw on Nick's arm. Nick turned to her to see her concerned face. He sat down silently.

"Right then." Mr. Big gestured to the reel of film in the case. "Now, if everyone will follow me to my private theater we will find out the truth about this amendment."

Adelaide squeaked in excitement. "Can we make popcorn?"


	10. Chapter 10: The File (Part 2)

Chapter 10: The File (Part 2)

Nick sat with his bad arm rested on top of his good arm as he waited for the lights to dim and the film to turn on. His lids began to slide down as sleep started to overtake him. The red, plush chairs where comfortable, Mr. Big was making sure the film was placed in correctly and Judy and Adelaide were popping popcorn in the mini concessions stand outside the theater. Only Honey was next to him who was wrapped up in her own thoughts.

"This is it," a soft voice said next to him.

Nick's lids slid open to glance at Honey who was sitting on his right.

"So it is," Nick muttered.

Honey looked at him with confusion. "I thought you were starting to care about this."

"I'm not." Nick readjusted and closed his eyes.

Suddenly he felt a sharp jab to his arm. "Hey! What was that for?"

"You need to get your thoughts strait, Nick," Honey glared at him with impatience. "You keep switching back and forth between a revolutionary and a cynic. So do everyone a favor, including Judy, and pick a side."

"What does Judy have to do with any of this?" Nick snarled back.

"Enough," Honey's face flickered a look of hesitation. "She knows where William White is and she will need your help."

Nick slumped on his seat. He didn't really know what he thought. On the one hand he didn't want to have to do more work than he had to. There had been to many times in his life where he'd done all the work and ended with nothing to show for it. His getting fired from the Wooly Dusters Co. was only the latest. He didn't want this to be another dead end.

Nick heard giggles coming up the aisle. He turned to see Judy coming over to them with a tray carrying bags of popcorn. The slender gray bunny smiled over at Nick warmly. Nick found himself smiling back before her gaze turned back to Adelaide who was sitting on the tray between the golden yellow bags. He reached his hand up to scratch his neck. When his hand brushed against his tame collar his smile faltered. Continuing to stare at Judy his eyes travelled down to her neck which had no collar at all. Something in his stomach dropped. He immediately turned back around and sat in his seat. Shutting down a thought in his head Nick focused his eyes on the top of the seat in front of him.

His deliberate attempt to stop was thwarted when Judy handed him a bag of popcorn and plopped down beside him. Adelaide was in her other side sitting on the arm rest.

"Ready to find out the truth?" Judy's nose quivered with excitement.

"Yes." Nick stared forward at the screen. "It means I can go home."

"Go home?" Judy's ears drooped as her eyes became big with disappointment. "Don't you want to see this through to the end?"

"this is the end." Nick tried his best to ignore the knot in his stomach at the sight of her sad eyes. "Once they watch this video they'll have what they need and I'll be satisfied

with my part in this."

"But it doesn't end here." Judy placed a paw pleadingly on Nick's arm. "I need your help to find Will. He's connected to this somehow."

"Why me?" Nick asked.

"Because, we both want to prove we can be more than we appear to be," Judy replied.

"What makes you think I want to prove anything?"

Before Judy could answer Mr. Big came down the aisle on a polar bear's shoulder. "The film is ready."

The theater darkened and a light came from the projection room as the polar bear and Mr. Big sat down. The grainy looking film came on the screen showing a much younger governor Sanza. Behind him stood several other animals, mostly prey. "In the event that this film should fall into the wrong hands we have encoded it's message. This is the final amendment to the Taming Act of 1969."

As Sanza walked off screen a little white ferret came to take his place. The ferret gave a nod then began a series of small movements. He flicked his ears, twitched his whiskers, shuffled his hands, and pawed his nose in what seemed to be a nonsensical series of movements a wild animal would make, but as the video continued there seemed to be a pattern, a sense of order and intention. Finally the ferret put his hands down at his sides and stood still. He turned and walked off screen.

Sanza stepped back into the picture. "That is the end of the message."

The screen went dark.

"What!" Nick bolted up right. "What the heck was that?"

"It was a white ferret," Judy said softly.

A thought occurred to Nick. He looked at Judy who returned his gaze. That same thought was clear in her face. They both turned to Mr. Big.

"That was William White Sr.," he said solemnly. "The one of the few voices for predators at that time. He was murdered. I had believed it to be because of his influence. Now I know there was another reason. He would still be alive to interpret the video."

"William White Jr. Must be able to interpret the video as well," Judy exclaimed. "What exactly did we see?"

"When animals were first learning to speak but had no voices they developed different forms of sign languages," Mr. Big began. "Over time these fell out of use as animals began to form the the universal language we have today. Very few animals actually know their species' sign language."

"William must know it," Honey said turning in her seat to face Mr. Big. "That's why he was kidnapped."

"Someone doesn't want us to know the final amendment." Mr. Big tapped his chin with his finger methodically.

"Daddy," Adelaide piped up. She had been silent for a long time. "Aren't we having that party tonight with our 'investors'?" She said the last word with a hint of humor.

"Very good thinking, Adelaide," Mr. Big smiled at his daughter. "For several months I have been acting as a double agent. I work with several animals who are determined to keep predators down and all of whom are responsible for the riots-"

"You know who's responsible for the riots?" Nick look of surprise turned to fury. "Why haven't you ratted them out?"

"First of all, Nicky, don't interrupt," Mr. Big scolded. "Secondly, if I did it would do no good. Their associates I don't know about would retaliate and I would be revealed to be working with the Freedom Hunters. Everything would fall apart, more animals would get hurt. No, things have to go on the way they are until we have the proper weapon." He paused for a moment. "Now, one of them must have been involved in taking William White. Tonight might be the night to find out. Judy, if you're willing I'd like you to be undercover. Work around the party, find out what you can. You're an attractive bunny I'm sure you can coerce some info out of some of those windbags." Judy nodded. "Alright, sounds like we have the beginnings of a plan."

everyone stood up and began to leave.

Nick turned to Honey. "Where are you off to?"

"Back to the diner," she replied. "What about you? Where are you going now?"

Nick shrugged. "I don't know."

Honey shook her head and walked up the aisle of the theater. Nick heard steps behind him. He turned to see Judy. "So I guess this is goodbye?"

Nick stared down at the bunny trying to hide the frown creeping into his face. "I guess."

Judy smiled softly. "Well, good luck." She held out her paw.

The fox took it in his own noting its small size. "You too."

Letting go Judy walked past him and up the aisle. Nick turned to watch her go.

"You know, you have have a strong sense of justice for someone who is only working for a payment," Mr. Big said. Nick just continued to stare up the aisle.


	11. Chapter 11: Things We Keep in Closets

**Hello Everyone!**

 **So this chapter introduces a little piece of Judy's back story. However I'm not certian if I want to keep it. Let me know what you guys think!**

 **Thank you!**

Chapter 11: Things We Keep in Closets

Judy hummed to the tune on her iPawd as she brushed the fur on her face and around her eyes with a delicate brush. Setting it down she chose a lavender eye shadow to highlight her violet eyes. It had been so long since she had dressed up for something. Applying mascara and a touch of lipstick Judy felt satisfied her appearance. As she went into her room she did a little step-ball-change into a pique turn which made her blue silk robe fly out. She was feeling surprisingly upbeat. Looking into her closet she couldn't seem to find anything that said sexy, wealthy, tell-me-all-your-secrets-I'm-so-hot. Perhaps she could go a different route. Then she remembered one last option.

Going down to her living room she went to a closet beneath her stairs. Opening it up she searched through the coats till she found a dress bag. Sliding down the zipper she found what she was looking for. Taking it up stairs and into her room she slipped it on. Turning to look in the mirror Judy fell frozen in time. The dress was white, off the shoulder, and tight until just below her hips where it fell in layers of a sheer a chiffon. From the strap on her right shoulder going down to her left hip was a pattern of lace roses with crystals scattered throughout. All that time in the dark and nothing had diminished the splendor of the dress. This would certainly attract everyone's attention.

after approving of the dress Judy went back down stairs to the closet to find the matching shoes. Digging in the back she found the box they were held in. Next to it was another box. She hadn't touched it in so many years. Slowly she opened it and pulled out the object inside. Running her fingers across the strap of the collar and over the small light bulb she came across the name that was just on the inside. When she felt a lump rise in her throat Judy threw it back in the box set it down, grabbed her keys and ran out the door.


End file.
